CORAL SPRINGS Residential Construction Work Slow?? (real estate, foreclosures, homes)

[cr8086]

I am thinking of Moving with my relatives that live in the Coral Springs area and they keep telling me it is great there for a Masonry trade. I am from Upstate NY and our winters are a joke for working. I have my own business for 30 years and build block,brick,stone, concrete and tile. I got the skills but is anyone remodeling or building homes there?? I don't know if they just want to get me down or telling me the truth. I think there is fierce competition myself but if I can work year round I would be greatful.

Thanx

[fauve]

No one is remodeling and no one is building homes. This is one of the hardest hit areas in the country for real estate.

[cr8086]

No one? is is that dead really ...

I would think with all the foreclosures-the banks are fixing them up and the people in Coral Springs have to repair their home anyway because of codes. Is powerwashing or commercial cleaning any good there? My brother in law does this.
Thanx

[fauve]

It's really dead.

I don't know about this. I imagine any established businesses would have the market already cornered though and are probably cutting their prices just to keep their crews busy.

Seriously, you couldn't pick a worse place to come and hope to find this kind of work. There are illegals who came here by the boatload struggling to eat now. Do NOT come here unless you have a job secured. This is no time to start a building business here. Btw, South Florida summers (May-October) is not the kind of weather anyone would choose voluntarily to work outside in.

[heydade]

yes, it is DEAD. people are losing their jobs, construction is at a standstill except for some state roadway projects. That's really about it. My buddy who does custom closets was just laid off. I hope things pick up soon.

[sk071077]

OK I lived upstate for about 6 years and worked as a carpenter. I moved back to FL about 6 years ago. There was so much work in construction at that time. There would be 1/2 a dozen carpenter adds in the paper every sunday. I worked for 2years and I had so much side work I started my own company. It's always up and down with how busy I am but lately it's a completely different ball game. First there are no jobs in the paper. There have been so many layoffs that many guys are willing to work for low wages and that makes thing very competitive. If you are from a rural area up there you will not like being a mason down here. But don't get me wrong I'm still floating, If you can mannage a decent size job here and there you might just make it. They say things might stabalize in 2 years. Until then it's going to be really dog eat dog. Maybe wait until then. Or try to work a seasonal thing out. I know the winters suck up there but doing masonry outdoors in the summer down here is brutal. Hope this helps.

[cr8086]

Thanks for the information. I am now in better reality of the situation. Im from Rochester NY and we are suppose to be recession proof here and things dried up. There are scattered jobs but there are too many contractors around not busy. People are bidding ridiculous prices to just keep there men busy. (good luck to that). I just visualize working 12 months a year there and enjoying life compared to the 6 months of hellish snow,ice and brutally frigid winters here. Im still undecided .My relatives are all into the casino business there -dealing cards and working texas holdem in the bars.
How is the commercial cleaning business you think any better? lol
Thanx

[fauve]

Check out the Austin board. The weather is similar to here and there seems to be a lot more optimism there. Commercial cleaning here in S FL is probably in slowdown mode as people go out of business and vacate offices. Maybe if you really want to come here, you could try the casino business with your family?

[cr8086]

Any one think the pool cleaning industry is stable there?

[fauve]

^^^I think more people are cleaning their own pools now, and there wasn't a shortage of pool cleaners before the slow-down. Plus, people who wouldn't have normally cleaned pools before are beginning to as an add-on business to what they might already be doing (say, landscaping)...I expect what people charge for these services will come down as business dries up and the amount of people cleaning pools increases. This is no time to be a small service business owner in South Florida.